When I found out Skeletonwitch were having a CD release party for their Prosthetic Records debut, Beyond the Permafrost, in their hometown of Athens, Ohio, I decided that the trip (which ended up taking twice as long as predicted each way) was necessary.

Let's get right down to it: the first opening band, Blueprint for Murder, were a third-rate Lamb of God knockoff, making them approximately a tenth rate Pantera knockoff, who aren't even that good anyway. Boring, awful, and the fat singer walked around the crowd shirtless to growl. It's pretty awkward to hate on a band when their singer is standing next to you gyrating. Gay.

After that boring mess, thrash revivalists Midnight took the stage, and tore the stage the fuck up. They sounded a lot like a Destruction/Toxic Holocaust marriage and just destroyed everyone's faces. They also wore medieval executioner's hoods over their faces during their set which was a nice topper. Listen to Midnight

Somewhere between the end of Midnight's set and the beginning of Wolves in the Throne Room's, I won the raffle. I got a Skeletonwitch sticker, a couple CDs I haven't listened to yet from a "crazy noise band", to quote the guy who gave 'em to me, and a $50 gift certificate to the tattoo and piercing shop in Athens. I'm gonna drive back out there when I turn 18 and get a tattoo for free, bitches.

Anyway, Wolves in the Throne Room. Ho-ly shit. Possessed by black fucking post-metal. Amazing stuff all around. Some people (namely Addi) were worried that the lack of bass would make the live set weird or bad, but no chance. These guys were AMAZING and had me locked in post-rock dweeb mode even during the screaming sections. Brilliant band who deserve to be recognized. Their setlist:

Dia Artio
Behold the Vastness and Sorrow
I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Roots and Rocks
A Shimmering Radiance (Diadem of 12 Stars)

Shortly after having my mind blown, the band I was really there to see came out and totally fucking destroyed. Skeletonwitch are probably my favorite band in this thrash revival movement, and they were the most high-energy live act I've possibly ever seen. The singer even crowd-surfed during the last song of the set. Thrashin' cap to a great night of metal. The setlist:

Upon Wings of Black
Beyond the Permafrost
Remains of the Defeated
Baptized in Flames
Sacrifice for the Slaughtergod
Fire from the Sky
Limb From Limb
Soul Thrashing Black Sorcery
Cast Into the Open Sea
Within My Blood
-----
Feast Upon Flesh

Great stuff.

And I bought a Beyond the Permafrost t-shirt. I love Baizley's art so much

God..I walked into that show not having heard much of any band. But boy, Wolves was probably the most EPIC live band I have ever seen. And although I had only heard one Skeletonwitch song before the show, I loved every single second of the show (except being slammed into a pillar by some drunk moshers.)